Councillors will fight on to save high school sixth form

COUNCILLORS at Culcheth have reacted angrily to Warrington Borough Council’s decision to press on with move to close the sixth form at Culcheth High School.
Councillors Matt Smith, Chris Vobe and Paul Campbell – all members of Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council – have pledged to support residents opposed to the closure.
The borough council’s executive board has agreed to support the school governors’ proposal to publish a statutory notice in respect of closing the sixth form.
If the change is implemented, it will mean the school will no longer admit new students into the sixth form from September, although students already enrolled in the sixth form will be able to complete their studies.
Pupils in the current Year 11 at the school, who would have liked to join the sixth form, will be supported in identifying an alternative suitable provision.
Kath O’Dwyer, the borough’s executive director for families and wellbeing, said: “No decision to close learning provision is taken lightly and is based on many factors.
“One of the main reasons behind the overall review was that the number of students choosing to study at Culcheth sixth form has decreased in recent years with many students opting for an alternative to a ‘school’ setting for their post 16 education.
“This is no reflection on the school and pupils achievements as there has been a consistent rise in attainment at GCSE over the past five years. Last year saw the best ever results with 79 per cent of students achieving five A*-C grades including English and Maths, making the school the highest performing in the borough.
Cllr Colin Froggatt, the borough’s lead member for families and wellbeing, said: “Having observed due process and carried out a full consultation, we are in agreement with the governors that maintaining a sixth form for a low number of pupils does not represent the best use of resources.
“Both the council and the school remain committed to providing all our students with the best support and advice to enable them to continue their learning, make informed choices about further education and achieve their goals.”
The statutory notice will be published on February 27 after which there will be a six week period in which representations can be made. The final decision will be made by the executive board on June 10.
In a joint statement, Cllr Matt Smith and Cllr Chris Vobe said: “It is important to understand that this does not represent the final decision – it is the beginning of a representation period, during which everyone is encouraged to submit their views over the prospect of our sixth form closing.”
The two councillors pledged to support residents opposed to the closure and actively encourage members of the public to submit their opposition to the borough council and the school.
They would show community leadership on the issue and fight for the best interests of young people in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft, doing all they could to retain a functioning sixth form in Culcheth.
They would also scrutinise the governing body and the school closely, to determine why intake at the sixth form had fallen in recent years, and ensure that every possible step was taken to avoid any knock-on effects to the high school.
Cllr Campbell said: “I personally regret it has come to this and would question why this issue has suddenly arisen. The parish council was unanimously opposed to this.
“But it appears to be fait accompli – there may be nothing we can do about it.
“Alongside any campaign to save the sixth form I will be working with the head teacher, the governors, the staff and the parents to ensure that any money which becomes available as a result of the closure is pumped back into the rest of the school to make sure it remains one of the most outstanding high schools in Warrington.”
Pictured (from the top): Cllrs Vobe, Smith and Campbell